This talk, delivered by two Ulster University academics, Jenny Jackson-Smyth and Dr Susann Power will showcase the Future Island-Island project and explain their delivery of hands-on creative workshops to children aged 9-11 years old (Key Stage 2).
During these design-led workshops, children dive into the world of storytelling through the immersive lens of board game design. Using character cards, from The Extraordinaires Design Studio framework, to address how environmental impacts (e.g., marine plastic waste, habitat loss and land pollution) affect these characters, children learn about critical issues while creating imaginative and extraordinary games in a collaborative setting.
This talk will involve an overview of the children’s creative workshops, the project’s methodology, partners and showcase some designs and learnings taken from these sessions. Key insights also relate to understanding how children learn about otherwise abstract and difficult topics, the impacts and the benefits of design-led learning, and the power of creativity in all forms.
Speakers
Jenny Jackson-Smyth
Jenny is a Researcher within the Future Island-Island project based in Belfast. She has a background in Architecture and a strong record of global engagement, including time teaching in Hong Kong. Jenny is also a practising artist whose work has been internationally recognised; selected as a finalist in Architizer’s 'One Drawing Challenge' in both 2020 and 2021, with recent work displayed at the Royal Ulster Academy’s 144th Annual Exhibition.
Dr Susann Power
Susann is a researcher, educator and activist scholar. She teaches and writes about sustainability, ethics and entrepreneurship. Susann has a particular passion for the beach. As a keen beach cleaner, Susann has lifted over 500kg of litter from Northern Ireland’s beaches and works on an ocean plastics research project called ‘Beach Clean 2.0’.
Event Format
30-minute talk
10-minute Q&A
15-minute material showcase
Venue information:
HALT is fully wheelchair and pram accessible.
Shopmobility is also located in the Great Northern Mall at HALT if you need to hire a mobility scooter or wheelchair. They are open Monday to Friday 9am - 4pm.